A Big Hunk of America Latest Topicshttp://www.lucylounge.com/forum/6-a-big-hunk-of-america/A Big Hunk of America Latest TopicsenThe Frawleys' VENTRILOQUIST (1927) Coming to DVDhttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/3740-the-frawleys-ventriloquist-1927-coming-to-dvd/The DVD collection "Found at Mostly Lost" will be released this Spring (exact date pending at this time). It will include a rare, early talkie... VENTRILOQUIST (1927) starring William & Edna Frawley. The one-reel short presents a portion of the Frawleys' vaudeville act.

]]>3740Wed, 17 Feb 2016 01:25:06 +0000My Three Sonshttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/971-my-three-sons/William Frawley's character's mothers sure lived a long time. Ethel refers to Fred's mother in "Lucy's Mother in Law" (sending her a box of lint) and I was reading a bio of Fred MacMurray that told how they wrote the Bub character out of My 3 Sons: He went back to Ireland to be with his mother!!

(She needed help taking care of all the young 'uns still living at home....?)

Is Frawley's last season of My 3 Sons available on DVD? That would be the show's 5th season.

I always assume he left for health reasons since he died the next year, but he did not go willingly. The studio doctor would not insure him and he was in such bad shape he'd fall asleep standing up and had to be prompted to deliver a line--especially bad after his daily "lunch" at Nicoletti's. He showed up on set after William Demarest took over and caused problems and was asked not to visit.

The year Frawley left "Sons" was its last black/white year and its last on ABC. In the fall of 1965, Demarest joined the cast, the show went color and moved to CBS for another 7 seasons. When CBS ran the show as part of its daytime schedule they started with these color/Demarest episodes. I know Nick ran the Frawley episodes but I don't remember seeing any. I don't think the series had much of a syndication life beyond the CBS morning run.

I only remember Sons from the end of its run and it seemed so BLAND.

Up to that time I think it was the 2nd longest comedy (12 seasons) in TV history: the first being 14 years of The "Adventures" (?!) of Ozzie and Harriet. If you put The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy together (which is legit for this purpose), that run equaled Sons.

I think "All in Family" and "Archie Bunker's Place" ran 12 years. Have any other sitcoms surpassed these 4? ("Ozzie" at #1; "Lucy/Lucy", "Family/Archie" and "3 Sons", a 3-way tie for #2) (Not counting the animated "Simpsons")

If you rank these shows by number of episodes:

"Ozzie" had an incredible 435 'adventures' ("Harriet, where's my hat?" could be stretched to an entire show)

"Sons" had 430 episodes (an overall average season output of 36, which means there were a lot of episodes those first seasons)

]]>357Wed, 08 Dec 2010 20:42:16 +0000Bill and Ednahttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/4024-bill-and-edna/I just found this interesting article from 1914 about Bill's marriage.

]]>4024Wed, 11 Jan 2017 21:54:04 +0000Bill, Joe, and Marilynhttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/3963-bill-joe-and-marilyn/An interesting tidbit from the New York Times obit for agent-to-the-stars Norman Brokaw.

In the early 1950s, Mr. Brokaw recalled, he took Marilyn Monroe to the Brown Derby restaurant after a stint on a local TV show. William Frawley, who played the friend and neighbor Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy,” stopped by their table to say that he was dining with Joe DiMaggio and that DiMaggio had become mesmerized by Mr. Brokaw’s dinner partner. He wanted to meet her, Mr. Frawley said.

“When he left, Marilyn looked at me and asked, ‘Who’s Joe Di?’” Mr. Brokaw wrote in his memoir. “We finished our dinner first, and on the way out, we stopped at their table. I introduced them. The next thing I know they were going together, and soon thereafter married.”

]]>3749Sat, 27 Feb 2016 00:23:50 +0000Edna Frawleyhttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/3502-edna-frawley/What is known about Bill's ex wife after their separation and divorce, or during their marriage for that matter? I find it interesting that she went to his funeral. And does anyone know how Edna Frawley got confused with Edna Purviance? ]]>3502Sun, 21 Jun 2015 15:26:20 +0000Favorite Freddie Quoteshttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/3429-favorite-freddie-quotes/Don't bother look in' in the cupboard, Mother Hubbard, it's bare!

It seems loafin' isn't any fun unless she's naggin' at me to get some work done.

Hi Rick ol'boy, how's ticks, how's tricks?

]]>3429Thu, 07 May 2015 01:32:38 +0000Someone's in the Kitchen with Bill Frawleyhttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/2898-someones-in-the-kitchen-with-bill-frawley/Bill's culinary skill went beyond a salami sandwich, a bottle of beer, and seven layers of luscious devil's food:

]]>2898Sun, 06 Apr 2014 00:20:56 +0000Nick at Night Promohttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/2855-nick-at-night-promo/Anyone remember this promo that ran on Nick at Night in the 90's. I think it was my favorite of all they did. Another one was called Lucy In Disguise With Diamonds.

]]>2855Tue, 11 Mar 2014 23:30:24 +0000Articleshttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/2864-articles/]]>2864Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:33:55 +0000The Best of Billhttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/83-the-best-of-bill/Since it's Emmy night, I was wondering if you had to select one episode from each season to submit to the Emmy committee for the Lucy cast members what would it be? We've done this for Lucy in the past, but how about the supporting players.

(I know that in the early years the nominations were based on the calendar year rather than the TV season, but I'm just doing it my season here).

These would be my submissions for Bill for Best Supporting Actor.

I Love Lucy:

1951-1952: Ricky Asks For a Raise

1952-1953: The Black Eye

1953-1954: Too Many Crooks

1954-1955: Mertz and Kurtz

1955-1956: Second Honeymoon

1956-1957: Desert Island

The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show:

1957-1958: Lucy Wins a Racehorse

1958-1959: Lucy Makes Room For Danny

1959-1960: The Ricardos Go to Japan

What would you choose?

]]>83Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:09:50 +0000Frawley Freebieshttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/2416-frawley-freebies/Internet Archive has several now-public domain movies with William Frawley in supporting roles that you can watch online for free or download and burn on to dvds including TEXAS BROOKLYN AND HEAVEN which also has Irene Ryan and Jody Gilbert in supporting roles (and stars hunk supreme Guy Madison) as well as pre-ILL tv appearances on Alan Young and Ed Wynn's shows. I posted earlier about the Wynn show but IA has added several other Frawley movie/tv gigs since then so I thought I'd let everyone know about it

(Note: Frawley is not in either CITY OF MISSING GIRLS or I MARRIED JOAN, just mentioned in reviews that's why his name comes up there in the searches).

They also have another film with him in supporting 1935's HARMONY LANE which is not on the above search since he's not mentioned by name on the IA page http://archive.org/d...ls/harmony_lane

]]>2416Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:04:36 +0000Fred Mertz: Coming or going?http://www.lucylounge.com/topic/2286-fred-mertz-coming-or-going/I was watching the Vacation from Marriage episode & less than 4 minutes in, I noticed a Fred Flub I have never noticed or heard mentioned before.

First he comes up to the Ricardo kitchen via the outside door & talks to Lucy & Ethel about his glasses. After he leaves, the camera shifts to Ricky walking across the living room calling out, "Lucy, is the coffee percolated yet?". When the camera shot goes back to the kitchen, don't look at Lucy & Ethel sitting at the counter. Instead, look at the window & see Fred walking by & disappearing around a backdrop corner .

]]>2286Fri, 07 Jun 2013 02:28:13 +0000Vintage ashtray from " I Love Lucy"http://www.lucylounge.com/topic/2270-vintage-ashtray-from-i-love-lucy/I was looking on ebay and found some interesting things. Amongst others I found a vintage ashtray from the set. Wow! I also found an aluminum fruit basket and boopie juice glass from the set..
]]>2270Fri, 31 May 2013 13:48:13 +0000Squire Quinn mughttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/2261-squire-quinn-mug/You can own your very own Squire Quinn mug :

]]>2261Sun, 26 May 2013 02:44:54 +0000Have you heard this story about Bill?http://www.lucylounge.com/topic/2246-have-you-heard-this-story-about-bill/I came across this clip about a Hollywood tour guide named Stephen Schochet being interviewed about the book he wrote. A short, supposedly true, story about Bill begins around 1:40.

Consider skipping the overly long intro by the woman interviewing him ...

]]>2246Tue, 14 May 2013 01:20:23 +0000William Frawley inducted into TV Hall of Famehttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/2198-william-frawley-inducted-into-tv-hall-of-fame/Here is a link to Bill's induction ceremony into the TV Hall of Fame. The clip starts with Vivian stories, but they eventually get to him :

]]>2198Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:15:18 +0000A tribute videohttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/2189-a-tribute-video/I found this video on you tube dedicated to Bill. It's a montage of photographs, many I've never seen before.

]]>2189Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:22:36 +0000Any survivng relatives?http://www.lucylounge.com/topic/367-any-survivng-relatives/I've wondered about this before ... does anyone know if Bill has any surviving relatives? I know he had a brother & a sister (maybe more sibs; I can't remember off the top of my head). Did they have any children?

Wouldn't it be cool if a niece or nephew could be found & interviewed about their Uncle Bill?

]]>2010Mon, 31 Dec 2012 07:05:22 +0000Something to Sing Abouthttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/1638-something-to-sing-about/Hi there: During one of my recent trips to the Goodwill store, I found this VHS tape that stood out for me to see William Frawley's name on the title. It is a 1937 musical called 'Something to Sing About' with James Cagney and Gene Lockhart..haven't watched it yet . Anyone heard from this or have seen it?]]>1638Tue, 24 Jul 2012 15:57:52 +0000Bill's cameohttp://www.lucylounge.com/topic/1893-bills-cameo/In honor of the Lounge banner with the sweet tribute to Bill, here (again ) is the clip with his horse trainer cameo:

Can you believe we still are so fond of & discuss the work of a man who was born 125 years ago??